Quirky facts about papal conclaves

In 1268, a conclave began that lasted nearly three years — 33 months to be exact. Pope Gregory X was elected pope, but not before residents of Viterbo, north of Rome, tore the roof off the building where the cardinals were staying and restricted their meals to bread and water to make them hurry up. Hoping to avoid a repeat, Gregory decreed in 1274 that cardinals would only get one meal a day if the conclave stretched beyond three days, and served bread, water and wine if it went beyond eight. While the meals served these days at the Vatican’s hotel are by no means gourmet, the cardinals won’t go hungry — no matter how long they take picking a pope.

Pictured: The Loggia of the Blessings was seen behind the statue of Saint Peter in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican on March 11.Next

OSSERVATORE ROMANO

SHORTEST CONCLAVE

Before 1274, there were times when a pope was elected the same day as the death of his predecessor. After that, however, the church decided to wait at least 10 days before the first vote; later that was stretched to 15 days to give all cardinals time to get to Rome. The quickest conclave observing the 10-day wait rule appears to have been the 1503 election of Julius II, who was elected in just a few hours, according to Vatican historian Ambrogio Piazzoni.

Pictured: The stoves will be used to burn the ballots during the next conclave inside Sistine Chapel at the Vatican.Next

Andrew Medichini/Associated Press

YOUNGEST POPE ELECTED

Pope John XII was just 18 when he was elected in 955.

Pictured: Papal shoes and a white skull cap were seen beneath three sets of papal outfits — small, medium, and large sizes — which will be sent to the Vatican for the new pope, are displayed in the Gammarelli tailor shop window in Rome on March 4.Next

OLDEST POPE ELECTED

The oldest popes were Pope Celestine III, elected in 1191, and Celestine V (left), elected in 1294, who were both nearly 85. Benedict XVI (right) was 78 when he was elected in 2005.
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PIERPAOLO CITO/Getty Images/File

FUN FACTS

The last time a pope was elected who wasn’t a cardinal was Urban VI in 1378 — he was a monk and archbishop of Bari.

Pictured: The Sistine Chapel at the Vatican was seen before a conclave on April 16, 2005.Next

Associated Press/File

FUN FACTS

Pope Pius XII, who was pope during World War II, left a document informing the College of Cardinals that they should hold a conclave and elect a new pope if he were taken prisoner.
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Osservatore Romano via Associated Press

FUN FACTS

While the Italians have had a stranglehold on the papacy over centuries, there have been many exceptions aside from John Paul II (Polish in 1978) and Benedict XVI (German in 2005). Alexander VI, elected in 1492, was Spanish; Gregory III, elected in 731, was Syrian; Adrian VI, elected in 1522, was from the Netherlands.

Pictured: Cardinals walked in procession to the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican for the conclave to elect the new head of the Roman Catholic Church on April 18, 2005. Back to the beginning